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By Nick Cafardo, Globe Staff

You saw what the Angels did.

It’s probably what the Red Sox should have done. They should have made a splash and signed Josh Hamilton, one of the best players on Earth, warts and all. But the Angels, who have agreed to terms with Hamilton on a five-year, $125 million deal, have swept in and taken the best free agent.

The Red Sox couldn’t have done that?

Instead the Red Sox will have Shane Victorino in right field. No knock against Victorino, who presented himself well at his Red Sox press conference Thursday.

He’s a high-energy player, sort of the Dustin Pedroia of the outfield, good character guy and all that. But five years for Hamilton is a great deal. It was an affordable deal for the Red Sox and not the seven- or eight-year commitments they were trying to stay away from.

But they chose to stick to their plan of good value players at lower cost and years and we’ll see how that turns out.

“Shane fits perfectly into our short- and longer-term plan,” Cherington said. “He’s been a big part of great teams. He’s a guy that can do a lot of things on the baseball field. A great defender, a great baserunner, hitter from both sides of the plate, and one of the highest-energy players in the game.

Hamilton is no slouch when it comes to energy either. He's one of the best five-tool players in the game and should continue to be that. While the Angels might have gone overboard on Albert Pujols' 10-year deal last offseason, they made a very good deal this time around.